Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Techgist Africa | Africa Leading Tech News, Reviews and Tips
  • News
    • World News
    • World Regional News
    • News – East Africa
    • News – West Africa
    • News – South Africa
    • News – Middle East And North Africa
  • The Big 5
  • Specials
  • Opportunities
  • Innovators
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Techgist Africa | Africa Leading Tech News, Reviews and Tips
  • News
    • World News
    • World Regional News
    • News – East Africa
    • News – West Africa
    • News – South Africa
    • News – Middle East And North Africa
  • The Big 5
  • Specials
  • Opportunities
  • Innovators
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Techgist Africa | Africa Leading Tech News, Reviews and Tips
No Result
View All Result
Home News Africa News

Republic of Benin Joins Uganda, Zambia In Taxing Its Citizens For Internet

Tech Gist Africa by Tech Gist Africa
09/05/2018
in Africa News
0 0
0
Social media

Social media

0
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Again, the Republic of Benin has followed the new trend among African countries like Uganda and Zambia by taxing its citizens for using the internet.

Beninese will now have to pay 5 CFA francs ($0.008) per megabyte consumed using internet and social media apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter and 5% levy on texting and calls in addition to already existing taxes.

Recall that Zambia recently approved a tax on internet calls and Uganda introduced a tax for accessing social-media apps, including WhatsApp and Twitter from mobile phones.

The law which was passed late August has been heavily condemned in the country, with citizens calling the countries officials to cancel the levy with the hashtag #Taxepamesmo (“Don’t tax my megabytes”).

Currently, a petition against the levy on Change.org has gathered at least 7,000 signatures since it was passed five days ago.

Digital-rights advocates have also registered their displeasure over the new law, saying these measures are part of moves to silence critics and the vibrant socio-political, cultural, and economic conversations taking place online.


See Also: Social Media as a Double-Edged Sword; a Blessing and a Menace


The group further stressed that, the adoptions of these taxes could have a costly impact not just on democracy and social cohesion, but on economic growth, innovation, and net neutrality.

Nigerian company, Paradigm Initiative has also expressed it fear about the tax law, saying that it  is only a matter of time before the Nigerian government joins Uganda and Zambia and start levying over-the-top media services like Facebook and Telegram that deliver content on the internet.

The increased fees will not only burden the poorest consumers and widen the digital divide, but they will also be “disastrous” for the nation’s nascent digital economy, says Internet Sans Frontiéres’ executive director, Julie Owono.


More Tech Stories:

  • Nigeria’s Government Gets $328 Loan from China for ICT Projects
  • Again, the Republic of Benin has followed the new trend among African countries like Uganda and Zambia by taxing its citizens for using the internet.
  • Nigerian Based Start-up, Tech4Her Africa to Represent Africa At Silicon Valley’s Demo
  • Facebook and Diamond Bank to Train 20,000 Nigeria’s Digital SMEs
  • Nigeria’s Omobola Johnson Joins Web Foundation Board
ShareTweet
Plugin Install : Subscribe Push Notification need OneSignal plugin to be installed.
Tech Gist Africa

Tech Gist Africa

Tech Gist Africa is a new media and technology news platform that focuses on the untold stories of innovative ideas closely connected to technology news from Africa.

Related Posts

Gloria Tumushabe Uganda Computer sceience student
Africa News

Ugandan college student takes her computer science education back to her home country

by Tech Gist Africa
05/12/2021
0

Gloria Tumushabe's engineering and computer science studies at the University of California, Berkeley were funded entirely by a full scholarship,...

Read more
Africa Development bank Ecowas Tech Gist Africa

The African Development Bank has allocated $320,000 in grant funding to mainstream gender in the digital financial operations of the Economic Community of West African States

03/03/2021
LabEight* Tech News Africa

Application for LabEight* Africa Spring 2021 Programme is Now Open!

02/04/2021
Green UNCDF Innovation challenge Ghana

UNCDF Boosting financial inclusion and job creation across Ghana with an innovation challenge

02/04/2021
Space satellite Tech News Africa

Together with NIGCOMSAT and Thales Alenia Space, ASECNA is working to accelerate the development of SBAS for aviation in Africa.

02/04/2021
Next Post
the big 5 daily

The Big 5 Daily: Amazon Hits $1trillion Market Value, Benin Republic to Start Taxing Its Citizens For Internet And More

AFest 2018 line-up announced

AFest 2018 line-up announced

Amazon

Amazon Becomes Second U.S. Company to Reach $1 trillion

No Result
View All Result

The Big 5

Africa startups

Kenyan Startups Invited to Apply for €100,000 develoPPP Ventures Grant

by Tech Gist Africa
06/15/2025
0

...

Neuralink Elon Musk

Neuralink Secures $650 Million in Series E Funding to Advance Brain Implant Technology

by Tech Gist Africa
06/15/2025
0

...

Telegram Grok

Telegram Scores $300 Million xAI Deal to Integrate Grok Across One Billion Users

by Tech Gist Africa
06/15/2025
0

...

Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship

12 Kenyan Startups selected for the 3rd Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship

by Tech Gist Africa
06/15/2025
0

...

Funding Africa startup

EIB Global, Family Bank Launch $111 Million Financing to Empower Women & Youth Entrepreneurs

by Tech Gist Africa
06/15/2025
0

...

TGA

  • About us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

TGA

  • About us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

AFRICA

  • Made In Africa
  • People
    • Tech Leaders
    • Innovator of the Week
  • Start-Up Spotlight

NEWS

  • Africa News
  • World News

THE BIG 5

  • Big 5 Daily
  • Weekly News Roundup

SPECIALS

  • Guest Articles
  • How Tos
  • Op-Eds
  • Reviews
  • Tech Leaders
  • Tips

VIDEOS

  • Interviews
  • Tech Videos

TGA

  • About us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

AFRICA

  • Made In Africa
  • People
    • Tech Leaders
    • Innovator of the Week
  • Start-Up Spotlight

NEWS

  • Africa News
  • World News

THE BIG 5

  • Big 5 Daily
  • Weekly News Roundup

SPECIALS

  • Guest Articles
  • How Tos
  • Op-Eds
  • Reviews
  • Tech Leaders
  • Tips

VIDEOS

  • Interviews
  • Tech Videos

Copyright © 2020 Techgistafrica. All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • World News
    • World Regional News
    • News – East Africa
    • News – West Africa
    • News – South Africa
    • News – Middle East And North Africa
  • The Big 5
  • Specials
  • Opportunities
  • Innovators
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Contact

Copyright © 2019 TECHGISTAFRICA. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.